Thomas j



(No Model.)

T. J. WINANS.l

BUTToN. A No. 312,943. Patented Feb. 24, 1885.

V n i: Il lll x u lIl llllmllll llllllll l lll l THOMAS J. VINANS,

Farnrrr Ormea.

OF BINGIIAMTON, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH I?. NOYFS & OO., OF SAME PLACE. l

BUTTON.

SPCIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 312,943, dated February 24:, 1885.

(No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, THoMAs J. Winans, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Binghamton, county of Broome, and

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buttons, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

In said `drawingspractical embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by the following views: Figure lis a diametrical sectional elevation of abutton applied to a piece of fabric, with its shank inserted within the buttonhead and clamped by spring-arms.

Fig. 2 is a top View of a plate provided with multiple-spring clamping-arms. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the same, taken on the line a'. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of a 2o button in which the spring-disk is shown in a modied form; and Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are elevations of different forms of attaching-shanks.

These improvements relate to that class of buttons which have mechanical means for se- 2 5 curing them to a garment, and more particularly to such of that class as are provided with spring-arms within the button-head, which clamp the shank and retain it in place when inserted through a hole in the collet and protruded within the embrace of such springarms. In such buttons a prominent defect incident to common constructions is that the, bearing ends of the spring-arms all lie in the same horizontal plane, and hence bear upon 3 5 the shank in a common plane, and afford but a single holding-point longitudinally of the shank. This admits of the shank wabbling, and renders it liable to be detached. This and other defects are avoided in my improvement, which consists in providing abutton-head with multiple springs projecting so as to form two rows of holding-points for engagement with the shank.

In carrying out this invention the buttonhead is provided interiorly with sets of springarm's 2 4, the bearing-points of which form a central opening, through wh-ich the shank 9 protrudes,saidspringsbeingpreferablyformed by perforating a disk made of spring metal 5o with a number of radiating'cuts, (see'Fig. 2,)

that form separated tonguelike pieces, an alternate or suitable number of which are 4bent topa considerable degree upward, while the remaining ones are-bent to a lesser degree upward,the two sets of springs24 thus constituted 55 forming a double row of springs, 'the bearing points of which form the central opening, 8, through which the fastening-shank is pro-` truded. The plate or disk bearing these spring-arms might be the collet; but to make 6o a more inished button it is placed above the collet 7 within the button-head, so as to be out of view, and the collet 7 is perforated with a central hole coincident with the opening 8, formed by the converging points ofthe springs, which hole should be small enough to embrace the shank and afford an additional bearing for the same. In Fig. 1 the plate or disk carrying the springs 2 4 is supposed to be coniined in place or centered by having its perimeter 7o abutting against the collet 7 and outer plate, A, where they meet, but in Fig. 4, which is the preferred form, the spring-disk carrying the spring-arms 2 4 has a diameter considerably less than the button, and hence said disk is unconiined at its perimeter, and,though free to adjust itselfdiametrically, is held concentrically by the tension of its spring arms. Thus made. the necessity of exact dimensions and nice fitting of the parts is avoided, and 8o special means of fastening the disk are not required.

1 Any fastening plate or disk, as 10, with a shank, 9, projecting from it may be used with a button provided with such spring-arms. 8 5 Thus a shank having a plane surface will be clamped between the Yends of the springs attwo points, and thus be securely embraced and held, as is shown in Fig. l. Vhen the shank is provided with a shoulder near its end, as in 9o Fig. 4, against which the upper set of springarms may abut, the lower set of spring-arms may impinge against the plane sides of such sha-nk, or, a shank having a number of shoulders formed by a series of depressions in its surface, as in Fig. 6, may be used, in which case each of the two series of spring-arms will clamp into a separate depression. In all these cases there will be two sets of springs impinging upon the shank at different points,and the Ico result will be that when the Shank is one@ lforced into their embrace it will be held most securelyA against all effort to displace it, and will resist any tendency to wabble, thus forming a rigid fastening.

While two sets of these spring-arms are suf iicient to produce a practical button, three or even more sets may be employed and be within the invention.

It will be apparent that the outer plate or piece, A, of the button-headis an unnecessary part of the button, although advantageous when strength is considered, and as its principal object is to afford ornamental effect, it

may therefore be omitted.

Thecollet 7 might in a cheap class of but tons have the springarms formed in it; but when the piece A is omitted the collet should be used and have lthe spring-arms properly secured to it. Of course two plates, one bearing the springarnis 2 andthe other the springarms 4, might be used.

When the shank 9 has depressions to receive the spring-arms 2 or`2 4, it is well to form such depressions so that when the springarms are engaged therein their ends will be snugly. seated, as is indicated in Figs. 4 and 7, which construction will prevent any looseness or vertical play of the head upon the shank 9. This is effected in the form shown in Fig. l

by reason of the spring-arms finding their own seat upon a shank, 9, having plane sides.

Vhat I claim is- 1, A button-head provided with multiplex springarms projecting in different horizontal planes, and adapted to be used with a suitable attaching-shank, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a button head, of a spring plate or disk of lesser diametrical dimensions than the said head,and held concentrically therein by the tension of its multiplex spring-arms projecting in different horizontal planes, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a buttonhead having multiplex spring-arms projecting in different horizontal planes, of an attachingshank, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with av button -head having multiplex spring-arms projecting in different horizontal planes, and a collet with a central bearing, of an attaching-shank, sub? stautially as described.v

In testi mou y whereof [have hereunto set my THOM AS J. VINANS.

V-itnesses: J osEPH l?. Novus, NERI PINE. 

